A new report released Wednesday morning shows that the number of social media accounts hacked by online criminals has skyrocketed.
The Identity Theft Resource Center has reported that scammers have become increasingly adept at taking over social media accounts. The non-profit said there has been more than a 1,000% increase in complaints to various agencies.
One common scam consumers are experiencing is when hackers use the hijacked accounts to send direct messages as a friend or follower to lure others to provide personal information or pay fees for a fake earnings opportunity.
The resource center says it's easer to detect when an existing account has been tampered with, but new versions of fraud are harder for victims to find out about — and more difficult to dispute with financial institutions.
They advise consumers to check their credit reports on a regular basis and freeze their credit with reporting agencies.
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